[asia-apec 891] Apec planners keep eye on security row

[Gatt Watchdog]

New Zealand Herald, Auckland, 31 October 1998

Apec planners keep eye on security row

Inquiry into demonstrations at last year's summit rocks Canada
By Andrew Stone

Senior Apec planners are carefully watching a security scandal
rocking the Canadian Government as it may have a bearing on next
September's Auckland summit.

The reputation of the Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, is
taking a pounding as damaging evidence emerges at an inquiry into
the pepper-spraying of student demonstrators at last year's Apec
meeting in Vancouver.  The clash between police and protesters was
run-of-the-mill, with 38 arrests near the scene of the leaders'
retreat.

However, the fallout 11 months later has become a political
firestorm that New Zealand officials are monitoring.

Leaked documents suggest that Canadian authorities planted spies
among demonstrators, arrested student leaders without charge and
bent over backwoards to spare former Indonesian leader President
Suharto political embarrassment.

While Canadian officials went as far as to apologise to Indonesia
in advance for anti-Suharto posters on Vancouver streets, the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police were fighting their own battle
against a decision to allow foreign armed security agents into
Canada with the Apec leaders.

The Mounties were particularly hostile towards Indonesian agents,
with documents suggesting the Canadians were preparing to shoot
the twitchy Suharto guards, who had upset their hosts by asking if
they could open fire on demonstrators if protests disturbed the
Indonesian strongman.

New Zealand security planners will not have the Suharto headache
next year as the Asian dictator has stepped down.  But they will
have to accept the presence of armed bodyguards, with the
Government preparing a law change permitting them to carry
concealed weapons.

Police here can also expect pressure from foreign delegations
determined to run their own show. The Canadian inquiry has shed
light on United States Secret Service demands over measures to
protect President Bill Clinton in Vancouver, with the Americans
wanting extra guns, a special armoured limousine and dozens of
extra agents during the three-day visit.

Superintendent Peter Marshall, police operations commander for the
Auckland Apec meeting, confirmed that planners had an interest in
the inquiry outcome. "Whether the issues arising from the inquiry
are relevant to the New Zealand environment will become clearer as
time progresses."

He said "lawful and reasonable" protests would be permitted in
Auckland, but demonstrators would not be allowed in no-go areas.

____________________________________________________________________
The Dominion, Wellington 11 November 1998

Law change will permit armed Apec bodyguards
By Cathie Bell, Political Reporter

The Government is to amend the law to enable foreign armed
bodyguards to accompany leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum in Auckland next year.

The change is to ease the concerns of American authorities who
threatened that the United States might not attend if bodyguards
could not carry weapons.

The law has been circumvented previously by swearing in foreign
bodyguards as members of the police.  But the Government does not
believe this will work for Apec as it would be "unrealistic" to
expect bodyguards from republics to swear the oath of allegiance
to the Queen which police officers make.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Don McKinnon and Police
Minister Clem Simich said yesterday that the Arms Act amendment
would enable selected bodyguards accompanying some world leaders
at Apec meetings to carry guns.

Police Commissioner Peter Doone would personally issue permits to
the approved bodyguards.  That approval would specify what weapons
and how many could be carried at what times.

The ministers said the permits would be given only to world
leaders who needed private protection.

Neither they nor Mr Doone would say who those leaders were but
background information they made public mentions the leaders of
the United States, Russia, and China in particular.

Alliance spokesman Matt Robson said the Government was opening the
door for "a gunfight at the OK Corral".

"This raises the risk of law-abiding New Zealand citizens being
shot down in their own country by a jumpy secret service agent."

That suggestion is not as outlandish as it might appear - the
Canadian Mounties were told by Indonesian security guards at the
Vanccouver Apec meeting last year that they would open fire if
protesters got too close to now-deposed leader General Suharto.

Mr Doone would not say what type of weapons he would approve but
permitted weaponry would most likely be pistols.  The Heckler and
Koch pistol is understood to be one of the guns favoured by
foreign security forces.

Legislation would be passed to block public access to places in Auckland
where Apec activities would take place.

That would be mainly around the Aotea Centre, the old town Hall,
the Carlton Hotel, and around the Auckland Domain during the
leaders' retreat.

Mr McKinnon said the law change was not something the Government
was taking lightly.

"Apec is an unprecedented event for New Zealand.  We are expecting
the world leaders of 20 economies to visit.  the event requires a
level of security we have never had to provide before".